A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – The ASD Video Glossary

These are just a few of the terms which may sound foreign to a parent who suspects his child may have autism. And even when you look up a word, it is hard to visualize the concept. What exactly does hand flapping look like? What does echolalia sound like?

Autism Speaks, together with First Signs and Florida State University, developed a web-based video glossary to help parents and professionals learn more about the early warning signs of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The glossary contains over a hundred video clips and is available free of charge, to help parents of children suspected of or recently diagnosed with autism better understand some of the words and terms they might hear used in association with ASD. Whether you are a parent, family member, friend, physician, clinician, childcare provider, or educator, it can help you see the subtle differences between typical and delayed development in young children and spot the early red flags for ASD. Video clips are used to show examples of terms such as echolalia and hand flapping. In many cases, side-by-side video clips show behaviors that are typical in contrast with those that are red flags for ASD. All of the children featured in the ASD Video Glossary as having red flags for ASD are, in fact, diagnosed with ASD.